Princess Brides Cast Reunites after 25 Years!

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Chuck Coty

This has got to rank as one of my all-time favorites. Charming, witty and just plain good clean fun. How can anyone not like this movie? And it’s even that much more heartening knowing how much the cast enjoyed it and each other.

Most of the cast of The Princess Bride reunited on Good Morning America for the talk show’s “Totally Awesome ’80s Week.” “When the movie came out, it wasn’t a huge, huge hit. They couldn’t quite figure out how to market it,” Chris Sarandon, who played Prince Humperdinck, said. “They didn’t really know what they had.” When the film first opened in 1987, it grossed $206,243 in limited release during its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.
 
 
Cary Elwes, who played Westley, “I think when I die, they’ll say on my gravestone, ‘As you wish.’ I think every woman wants to hear that.” Wallace Shawn, who portrayed Vizzini, recalled people approaching him and wanting him to say, “Inconceivable.” Director Rob Reiner’s first choice for Vizzini was Danny DeVito.
 

The “MLT” line that Miracle Max says in the film, one of the most quoted, was ad-libbed on-set, Billy Crystal confirmed.


 

When asked about the final kiss at the end of the movie, Robin Wright, who played Buttercup, joked to Elwes, “Who are you?” The cast members also reminisced about Andre the Giant, who passed away in 1993.
 

Fred Savage and Mandy Patinkin were not present. (from The Hollywood Reporter)

 
(A bit longer version but with a 30 second ad preceding)

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Dispensationalism Exposed

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Chuck Coty
“In the sermon (below), Archbishop Scott McLaughlin exposes the origins and outcomes of the popular idea of the “Rapture” of the Church, rebuking Harold Camping’s predictions of the “Rapture” in May and the End-of-the-World in October. The entire “Dispensational” system of biblical interpretation is exposed as a fraud and a false system of belief that denies Christ, the Church, and the Gospel. Preached at Christ Anglican Church, Lexington, NC, on Rogation Sunday, May 29, AD 2011″

Let me ask you a question. If at the very core, Dispensationalism is fatally flawed (and I believe this can be proven), then how can its eschatology be on solid ground? Many people reject the more hardcore teachings of dispensationalism e.g. distinct earthly and heavenly paths to God, yet they don’t realize that, since the foundations of this system are decrepit, the eschatological outgrowths must be one in the same. 
 
However, I find people picking and choosing facets of dispensationalism much like a Chinese menu. The column A, column B approach is not valid because of the way dispensationalism is constructed. People don’t realize that the rapture was a necessary fabrication to rid the world of the Church so that God could properly (they say) focus on the apple of His eye, Israel. It is a system that simply cannot be tweaked, though many mistakingly think it’s possible. It should be viewed as an elaborate jigsaw puzzle, where if one piece does not fit, the entire puzzle should be scrapped.
 
Any theology that exalts a physical nation i.e. the modern day secular nation of Israel, and makes it the focal point of history, is unwittingly doing severe injustice to the centrality of Jesus Christ as THE ONLY epicenter with which we must honor and revere. Any system that causes us to take our eyes off of Christ, must be rejected.
 

C.I. Scofield

If you consider yourself a dispensationalist, I truly mean no offense. I’m not suggesting that you aren’t a Christian nor am I challenging your faith in Christ or your sincerity. However, I believe this doctrine is dangerous and at its core is an offense to the Gospel. Please examine your view against the backdrop of Scripture.

 

These past 40 years (though it began much further back) mark a mentality of retreat that has caused the Church to lose focus and has cost us the culture. The difficult times in which we live are, in my view, the result of a self-fulfilling prophecy. So a man thinks in his heart, so he shall become. If you expect defeat and are sold on escapism, then we should not be surprised by the results. If we want to take back the culture for Christ, we MUST shed “Leftbhindology.” We will not work contrary to our eschatological expectations for very long. Why bother polishing brass on this fast sinking ship?  That mentality has cost us a great deal.

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The Land Promises to Israel – Fulfilled or Unfulfilled?

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Chuck Coty
Are today’s inhabitants of Israel, God’s chosen people? Is the land given to Israel by the U.N. in 1948, the eternal land of Abraham’s descendants?  In other words, is the land of Palestine, Israel’s by divine decree?  Does the modern day nation of Israel have a prominent place in God’s “last days” eschatological plan? Join Don K. Preston as he attempts to deal with these very pertinent issues? You may be rather surprised by the answers.

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Global Voice of Non-Violence

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Chuck Coty
As I contemplated notifying you of the following event, a very strange and rather unsettling thought hit me. Peace and non-violence are most often associated with hippies and leftist wimps and rarely the overriding themes employed by Christians. It’s not only acceptable but it’s downright lauded that we squash the commies and destroy all those who oppose us. No, I don’t want to come across too cynically, but I do believe we need to change the way we engage others who don’t share our views.At any rate, please consider attending the online September 21st “Global Voices of Non-Violence” teleconference, which seeks peace in the Middle East. Some of you have seen the documentary “Little Town of Bethlehem” which will be featured during this teleconference. For those who haven’t, I highly recommend it. It’s the wonderful story of reconciliation between Christians, Arabs and Jews as they join the forces of peace.

 
Matthew 5:9 (NASB) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
 
Isaiah 9:6 (NASB) For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NASB) Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
 
I realize that earthly peace is not the ultimate answer, since man’s problem is spiritual enmity and separation from God. However, in my view, earthly peace should be a byproduct of our eternal peace, which is born of faith in Jesus Christ through reconciliation with God.
 
At this time, sadly, the majority of Christ’s earthly body (the Church) does not appear to be spreading a message of non-violence.  Why?  Because they believe (as did I not too many years ago) that future violence and massive death tolls will be the result of the inevitable and imminent plan of God, culminating in the final battle of Armageddon. 
 
Therefore, this peaceful effort will forever spin it’s wheels unless and until the widely held eschatological presuppositions of our day are challenged. And I believe this eschatological paradigm must be defeated because I do not find it particularly Scriptural. Matter of fact, I think it is an unwitting assault on the Gospel and the integrity of God’s Word. 
 
Until the tail end of 2005, I lacked the historical context necessary to more fully understand Scripture at this very crucial point.  I don’t mean that to sound arrogant, but I do count it a great blessing to have providentially stumbled upon a view that I believe more majestically affords Scripture it’s most inspired status. 
 
So, it should not go without saying that, if this imminent horrific Battle of Armageddon (where 2/3 of the Jews are to die) has been ordained by God, then the efforts of organizations like Global Voices of Non-Violence will fall upon deaf ears in the wake of God’s sovereign plan. But what happens if this view of Scripture is wrong?  
 
In that light, let me share a brief history to help flesh out the historical context of this great battle, most presume to be in our future.
 
In AD 66, Cestius Gallus marched into Judea and surrounded Jerusalem in an attempt to restore calm at the outset of the Great Jewish Revolt. (I have hyper-linked these resources for your further study. Also, please consider “audience relevance”… to whom is the “you” with which Jesus is referring?  Us?  No, it’s His disciples 1,980 years ago)
 
Luke 21:20 (NASB) “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.”
 
Gallus succeeded in conquering Beit She’arim “the new city” also called Bezetha, in the Jezreel Valley, seat of the Great Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme religious court) at the time, but was unable to take The Temple Mount. During his withdrawal to the coast, his army was ambushed near Beth Horon, and only succeeded in making good his escape to Antioch by sacrificing the greater part of his army and a large amount of war materiel.
 
It has well been documented that after this unexplained pullback, Christians who had been watchful of the signs (Matthew 24), fled Jerusalem in mass to the city of Pella.  (notice the location of Pella on the map) They were specifically warned NOT to seek safe haven in the heavily fortified city of Jerusalem (which one would have presumed to be safest place), but instead to flee to the mountains. And that’s exactly what they did!
Luke 21:21-22 (NASB) “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. 
 
Soon after his return, Gallus died (before the spring of 67), and was succeeded in the governorship by Licinius Mucianus. Emperor Nero appointed General Vespasian, to crush the rebellion. In the spring of AD 67, General Titus, the son of soon to be Emperor Vespasian (after Nero committed suicide), amassed a multi-national armed force of 60,000 (the 15th legion) on the plain of Megido. The siege against Jerusalem, prophesied by Jesus less than a generation earlier, culminated in the utter destruction of the Temple in the fall of AD 70 (exactly 3.5 years as had been predicted in the Revelation), as not one stone was left upon another.
 
Matthew 24:2 (NASB) And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
 
So, contrary to popular belief, and consistent with the beliefs of many prior to the mid 1800s, I believe this great battle is not in our future. Hopefully you can see why this matters so much. If this event is in our past (the first verse of the Revelation reads, “things which MUST soon take place”), then that will change our entire outlook on the victorious nature of the Gospel. We must, in my view, become ministers of reconciliation both spiritually and physically. 
 
Join us for the Global Voices of Nonviolence LIVE launch event on Beliefnet.com.

When: Wednesday, September 21, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Where:  Washington D.C., streamed LIVE on Beliefnet.com from the campus of The Catholic University of America
What: The online premiere of the award-winning film Little Town of Bethlehem followed by a live panel discussion

Learn more about Global Voices of Nonviolence
 
If you can’t attend the event, the film and a recording of the panel discussion will be available on Beliefnet.com through Oct. 2.
 
Little Town of Bethlehem has been screened in nine countries at hundreds of colleges, universities, places of worship, and other venues. Help us keep the dialogue alive. Thank you!

“Little Town of Bethlehem draws us to the “other,” the “neighbor” whom we have been called to love. Real people, claiming the moral high ground, give this movie its credibility and lasting relevance.”

Robert Seiple
Author, Speaker
Former World Vision U.S. President

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Seffner Armwood Football ranked #1 nationally

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Chuck Coty
Wow, this is pretty impressive. I realize it’s a mythical ranking since there’s no way to adequately evaluate the talent of high schools that have so little cross pollination, but for Armwood (Seffner, FL) to have achieved this grand status, is pretty dadgum amazing. Now, let’s hope they remain hungry and humble and aren’t overcome by their own pride.

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Things may not be quite as they appear…

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Chuck Coty
Following is an interview with Yonatan Sapira, a former Captain in the Israeli Air Force. I am truly invigorated by this man’s conviction and his willingness to subject himself to scorn as he follows his heart. And contrary to the way he has been characterized, it’s rather obvious that a deep love of his country and his Jewish heritage has motivated his quest for peace through non-violence. Yonatan appeared in a recent documentary, “Little Town of Bethlehem“, with two fellow activists, one Christian and one Muslim, all three hailing from the same city of Bethlehem. Their common goal?  Peace!



Yonatan is living proof that as a Jew he can love Israel and his people but yet strongly disagree with some of his government’s actions and policies. In my view, as one coming from the “religious right” perspective, we have been cornered by a false dilemma: Either love Israel and ALL of its policies or accept the terrorists and their despicable acts against the innocent. As a Christian I simply cannot justify terrorism whether state-sponsored or sanctioned by a militant group like Hamas. The cycle of violence must stop. 

Yonatan Sapira in his Israeli Air Force flight suit

That being said, if we don’t seek to understand what might motivate a person to strap explosives to their body with the intent to inflict maximum damage on innocents, I don’t think we are being intellectually honest. Which is worse, a terrorist act that kills 9 innocent children or an Israeli Air Force rocket assault on the home of an alleged terrorist also killing 9 innocent children? Oh, but some may say, “The government has the right to self-defense and in so doing if children die, that’s unfortunate collateral damage.”  Really? What if the terrorist is also reacting to the tyrannical aggression of the Israeli government and feels totally justified to act on behalf of those who are oppressed? 

By caging a million and a half people like animals (Gaza) and separating them from vital resources, is causing severe reactions. And by Israeli’s settling on land that is not their own is also soliciting acts of aggression. How would you or I react if our neighbor illegally began to annex our property and expanded his home onto our land?

So simply because I can’t possibly condone the Palestinians firing missiles into Israel, does not mean that I shouldn’t seek to understand the underlying motivations of the combatants. Perhaps their cause is just though their methods of retribution are abhorrent? 

Is the U.S. supporting the Israeli government’s policies that are helping foment or at least perpetuate this kind of violence? Please listen carefully to Yonatan’s plea. He is not a terrorist sympathizer, but neither does he side with the dehumanizing policies set forth by his own government. Lastly, please pray that Yonatan will come to know the true Prince of Peace. 
Posted in Dispensationalism, Israel, Zionism | Leave a comment

Former Israeli Air Force pilot describes why we joined the Gaza Aid Flotilla

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Chuck Coty
I constantly receive articles, emails, and videos extolling the virtues of Israel while impugning the legitimacy of any and all facts to the contrary. Be that as it may, I think we need to at least attempt to separate the political reality from what I believe are false Biblical assumptions.  We ought to make a distinction between the modern day nation-state of Israel from biblical Israel. Only then will we be free to make rational political judgments.
 

Within the Christian community, it always seems to devolve into an either/or ultimatum. Either we unequivocally and unabatedly support Israel, OR we aid and abet the Muslim terrorists who want to drive them into the sea. This is nothing but propaganda employed to keep us from making critically informed judgments and it is NOT the only option. This is a false dilemma. I believe it’s imperative that we throw off the yoke of bias and bigotry and make sound judgments based on Biblical principles. 

Was Jesus not the Prince of Peace?  Did Jesus not say, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God“?  So why do we insist on taking sides?  Contrary to what we are constantly told in mainstream evangelicalism, both sides are at fault.  And unless we remove the beam from our own eye, we will never see the problem and therefore will never work toward a solution. 
 
Unless we divest ourselves from what I believe are unfounded biases based on a skewed view of Scripture, we will never fully comprehend the complexity of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, nor appreciate the potential for a peaceful coexistence. Ultimately, in my view, the ONLY lasting solution is Jesus Christ. But the way things stand right now, how do you think Jesus is perceived by the Arab population? They believe that Jesus is their adversary solely because of their ethnic origin. Jesus, the Christian Zionists believe, loves the Jewish people at the exclusion of a billion Arabs.
This myth must be dispelled because it simply is NOT Biblical. I attempted to address that HERE, so since that is not the full intent of this post, please consider my thoughts from what I believe comprise a sound Biblical perspective.  
 
Let me quickly interject a documentary that is pertinent to this subject. If you have not see “Little Town of Bethlehem” I highly recommend it. The movie’s goal is to foment peace within the embroiled Middle East and specifically Palestine. The movie traces the lives of 3 men, each born in Bethlehem and views the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through these very disparate lenses i.e.one Jew, one Arab and one Christian. These three have one common goal:  A desire for peace through non-violence. And that brings me to the main reason for this post. 
 

Below, you will find a video of Yonatan Shapira, a former Israeli pilot who decided to take the path of peace.Yonatan’s connection to the above documentary?  He’s the Jewish man from Bethlehem. Had I not known Yonatan Shapira  through the movie, it’s likely I would have believed the lies and the propaganda about his Flotilla effort. This man’s father was a highly decorated fighter pilot in the Israeli army and he, along with Yonatan’s brother also joined Yonaton’s peace efforts.

Watch the video and determine for yourself if this man is merely a propagandist being used by the anti-Israeli forces.The path of peace takes a great deal more courage than that of war. As Christians should we not do everything in our power to foment peace, both individual and societal? God forever destroyed the wall of enmity between us and Him by the blood of our Savior. And Jesus asks that we extend that ministry of reconciliation to the world. 

Posted in Dispensationalism, Israel, Zionism | Leave a comment

Heavens to Murgatroid! The Asteroids are coming!

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Chuck Coty

Given comments like those of Pat Robertson’s below, is there any wonder why there’s so much eschatologically-induced confusion and why there’s currently an interpretational free-for-all within the Church? I don’t mean to be overly harsh (well maybe just a bit austere), but I truly believe this rhetoric is destroying the credibility of the Bible. Couldn’t this video have just as easily been produced by the Onion? Ugh. 

Listen, I’m not questioning this Roberston’s commitment to Christ or his love for the Gospel, but I am truly appalled that, after a 40-year track record of errant prophetic speculations, we continue to give him a hearing. At what point will people say, “Enough is enough”?  My roommates and I considered quitting college in ’73 because of his warning that the end was near. It’s truly a travesty that people perpetually condone the kind of hermeneutic that gives Robertson license to make these kinds of outrageous predictions.

Pat Roberton’s comments make the video below more plausible every day. One of my all-time favorites!  LoL

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Coffee Table Extraordinaire!

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Chuck Coty
The TouchTable looks like a giant iPhone that marries satellite imagery with a plethora of data sources. TouchTable, Inc., the creators of this amazing device, have developed applications for intelligence gathering and law enforcement, but the sky’s the limit for the consumer as well. So if you have $60k sitting around the house, looks like this one’s got your name on it. 🙂  These are amazing times!


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Presuppositions and Assumptions

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Chuck Coty
Consider the following mind trick from David Copperfield. Can he read your thoughts?
 
 
 
I think this is a great lesson as we attempt to interpret the Bible. Though we may be unaware, we often don’t approach Scripture with an open mind. And that’s not so much an indictment as it is the reality. Our minds are filled with presuppositions some of which may be untrue. Regarding such, in 1958, J.I. Packer wrote the following in “Fundamentalism and the Word of God“:
 
We do not start our Christian lives by working out our faith for ourselves; it is mediated to us by Christian tradition, in the form of sermons, books and established patterns of church life and fellowship. We read our Bibles in the light of what we have learned from these sources; we approach Scripture with minds already formed by the mass of accepted opinions and viewpoints with which we have come into contact, in both the Church and the world. . . . It is easy to be unaware that it has happened; it is hard even to begin to realize how profoundly tradition in this sense has molded us. But we are forbidden to become enslaved to human tradition, either secular or Christian, whether it be “catholic” tradition, or “critical” tradition, or “ecumenical” tradition. We may never assume the complete rightness of our own established ways of thought and practice and excuse ourselves the duty of testing and reforming them by Scriptures. (Fundamentalism and the Word of God, by J.I. Packer. [Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1958.] pp. 69-70)
 
Isn’t that profound?  I try to remember to read this quote at least once a month since  I consistently find myself in unwitting violation.  It’s nearly impossible to approach the Scripture without bias, so the best we can do is recognize it when it exists and pray that the Holy Spirit will allow us to overcome it. 
 
Following is a case in point. A friend forwarded my recent blog post, “Pray for Israel…” to his pastor, and among being called a cult leader and other reprehensible ad homs,  this pastor wrote:

“As for the Jews, you align yourself with Hiltler, Stalin, and the entire Muslim world today, and I guess you feel very ecuminical in that; but I can tell by yuor slant who you read after now.  It surely is not the Bible.    Since Revelation tells us that all of it will be done shortly (Rev 1.1), and ends by saying all of these things will happen shortly; all of Revelation has been fulfilled to you.  Do you really believe that?“

For my purposes here I won’t focus on the inflammatory stuff. It speaks for itself. However, I would like to call attention to his comments regarding the Revelation. Is it possible that he’s succumbing to the rudiments that make Copperfield’s trick seem truly amazing? The pastor referred to the following verses:

Revelation 1:1 (NKJV) The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

Revelation 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Revelation 22:6-7 (NKJV) 6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Revelation 22:10 (NKJV) And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.

Revelation 22:12 (NKJV) “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

Revelation 22:20 (NKJV) He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 
Now, let me ask a question? If you picked up the Bible for the first time and read these verses from the Revelation with no preconceived ideas (as Packer suggests), when would you believe the time of the Revelation was to be fulfilled? Do “MUST SHORTLY take place…for the time is NEAR“, seem like references to a 2,000 year period?  By the pastor asking rather mockingly, “Do you really believe that“, it’s apparent that he doesn’t believe that Jesus spoke truthfully through the angel. And I find that quite alarming and sad.

Does this not strike at the heart of Biblical inspiration and at the deity of Christ? Remember, in the Revelation Jesus was no longer speaking as a man as He was when He prophesied that His coming would be within a generation (Matthew 24:34).  This time, approx 35 years after his “this generation” proclamation, He’s speaking from a position of exaltation at the right hand of the Father. At that point, Jesus clearly knew not only that the “time was near” but He had to have known the exact day and hour of His return.  
 
How far off course have we traveled where the ones reading the literal timing of things to come are the ones who are considered the cult leaders and heretics? When this fellow says, “It’s surely not in the Bible,” I have to wonder what Bible he’s reading. Daniel was exhorted to “seal up the vision” because the things with which he was prophesying were “many days yet to come” (almost 600 years before the time of Christ). Yet, the recipient of the Revelation was told, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy” because “THE TIME IS AT HAND.” 
 
I don’t know how the contrast between Daniel and the Revelation could be any greater of an indictment upon the modern day prophecy experts who insist that the Revelation’s prognostications are still future? How can we continue to say that we believe in Biblical inspiration and yet totally disregard the above time statements? 


I realize treating these passages literally is not in vogue, but isn’t it time to discard our presuppositions and let the Bible speak for itself?  What’s wrong with considering these matters with an open mind, not being ruled by assumptions that may be Biblically unwarranted? 
 
In and of itself, properly interpreting Scripture is a very difficult task. So it seems imperative that we realize how easily we can be fooled. If you were initially amazed by the Copperfield “trick”, it should stand as a lesson regarding presuppositions. You assumed, as I did, that all of the cards in the second set (minus the one we fixed our eyes upon) were different. We were tricked by an incorrect assumption. 
 
And we have assumed, based upon years of sermons, books, and conversations, that the Revelation MUST be entirely in our future. However, if it was written in the first-century, that is simply not a possibility, unless Jesus was intentionally misleading John. And if that was the case, we have far more grievous issues to deal with than eschatology. 
 
Do we have the faith to first believe Jesus and then concern ourselves with the “how can this be true”, later?

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Pray for Israel? – What about the Palestinians, the Sudanese and/or the Canadians?

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Chuck Coty
I received a short email (at bottom) asking that we pray for Israel. Rather innocuous enough, right?  Why not pray for the peace of a nation constantly embroiled in conflict, and opposed on all sides by the many who want to drive them into the sea?  Clearly, there’s great value in praying for peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace! 
 

However, as I began to contemplate the root of this simple prayer, I was plagued with the following question. Why is it that we are consistently encouraged to single out this particular nation, often at the exclusion of other strife-laden lands? All sorts of war-torn and/or poverty-stricken nations come to mind that need God’s grace and peace. So what is it about the modern day nation of Israel that deserves this kind of special attention? Does God still have a unique purpose for this tiny land now inhabited by a people whom many Christians still believe are living under a divine mandate?  

The horrors of Auschwitz

And I must say, in the minds of many, even posing this line of questioning about Israel’s special place in this world immediately conjures up visions of anti-Semitism.  So at the outset, let me be clear that I don’t have an anti-Semitic bone in my body. The Auschwitz death camps were a filthy stain on mankind’s sordid history and it disgusts me to hear some hate-filled souls try to deny that the savagery ever took place. (Lest you have any doubt see Holocaust Denial Timeline)

Having said that, I don’t believe it’s morally justified for those who have been so severely persecuted to vindicate themselves by committing atrocities on a similarly vulnerable people i.e. the indigenous Palestinians. The truth is that bigotry and ethnic cleansing should be abhorred no matter who the perpetrator is.  I believe it’s racist to favor one people group over others regardless of the group’s composition.  

Let me be clear at this point. I love the Israelis. I visited Israel in 2000 and found the people to be quite industrious and engaging.  But to be quite frank, I also love the Arabs, the Brits, and my postal carrier. Aren’t Christians supposed to love ALL people without prejudice?

So please, before you castigate me with racially-charged rhetoric and mischaracterize my probing, consider what “pray for Israel” implies. I have found the constant cry of anti-Semitism to be a faulty but rather effective defense mechanism shielding this necessary discussion from objective conversation while summarily insulating Israel from even the slightest bit of criticism.

So, don’t you think it’s at least reasonable to ask if the New Covenant, in fact, sanctions the exaltation of one nation, Israel, above all other nations?  In other words, is God partial to those of one genetic predisposition over those of another fleshly lineage? Some might answer that question affirmatively, but I believe they would be ignoring the bulk of the New Testament writings. I’ll deal with this matter Biblically in a moment.

As I further contemplated this whole notion, it dawned on me that I hadn’t received similar prayer requests for the plight of other nations.  Darfur and Sudan immediately come to mind. So, since the majority of Israel’s citizenry blatantly rejects Jesus Christ, why specifically should we pray for this secular nation? Yes, of course, I believe we should pray for the salvation and peaceful estate of everyone who resides within its borders, especially since unrest has become a way of life.  And surely we should abhor all violence and decry acts of barbarism. However, that’s really not the intent of my question. I’m speaking strictly of the special treatment afforded one nation, Israel.

So, if we’re going to give Israel a special dispensation, I think it’s apropos to at least ask who it is that lives within its borders. Are they God-fearing? Is this a nation patterned after Old Covenant Rabbinic Judaism? Is there a continuity of land ownership since the time of Christ and before? Does modern day Israel bear even the slightest resemblance to the people who inherited the Promised Land 1,500 years before Christ? Unfortunately, the answer to each is a resounding NO. The vast majority of Israelites are secular but those who are devout hate, Jesus Christ. In “Christians in Israel an Endangered Species” was written the following:

The Jewish Encyclopedia tells us He was a bastard—“for polemical purposes, it was necessary for the Jews to insist on the illegitimacy of Jesus, as against the Davidic descent claimed by the Christian church.” His mother, “…Mary…was known to be an adulteress.” 2 Concerning “Miriam,” or “Mary,” the Talmud in Sanhedrin 106b says: “… “She who was the descendant of princes and governors played the harlot with carpenters.’…’”

Israel is a completely secularized society with little interest in God and an outright aversion to Jesus Christ. So why do some expect God to bless those who bless Israel (Gen 12:3), if they reject and abhor “The Way, the Truth and the Life”?

If Jesus was enamored with sacred bloodlines, why then did He tell Nicodemus, a devout Jew, that must be “born again”? (John 3:3) or he “cannot see the Kingdom of God.” And why did John the Baptist tell the Jewish religious elite that God could manufacture children of Abraham out of stones? (Matt 3:9)  This passage doesn’t speak about the restoration or regathering of the Jews according to the flesh. Quite the contrary. John foretells of the wrath that was “about to come” upon this wicked and adulterous generation. So in the New Covenant, if to God, ethnic origin is of no consequence, what therefore is the allure of favoring modern-day Israel?

Talmudic Judaism is vehemently opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At this point, it should be noted that the “Anti-Missionary” law conspicuously passed during Christmas week on December 27, 1977. Although it remains legal in Israel for a Christian to talk with an Israeli about Christ, it is a crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison to attempt to convert an Israeli to Christianity by use of any material inducement. If a Christian gives even a gospel leaflet to an Israeli, he violates this law. Also, if the Israeli converts to Christianity after receiving the leaflet he himself could face 3 years in prison.

So the question remains. Should a nation which enacts such laws, be considered a brother in the New Covenant simply because they share thousands of years of pre-Christ heritage?

Once again let me ask why should we not also specifically pray for nations other than Israel such as South Korea, which are experiencing major revival and are also sandwiched by evil on all sides? Has anyone ever suggested that we pray for South Korea?  I don’t mean to sound obtuse, but why do we constantly sanctify the modern nation of Israel as though they are the apple of God’s eye?

The truth is that they are just like every other godless nation that needs Jesus Christ. According to Scripture, they no longer enjoy any privileged status nor do they maintain any divine right to the land in which they currently reside. And if you think they do, please watch the video below. Are you aware that there’s not one New Testament verse that speaks of a Holy Land? Quite the contrary. Jesus, when he was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well made it clear that physical locale was being rendered totally insignificant. This is powerful and it must not be missed.

John 4:21-24 (NKJV) 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Did you catch that? Neither on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem! Why? Because the worship of God was no longer going to be confined to temples made by human hands. 

On May 14, 1948, those who identified themselves as Jews were given the land by U.N. mandate. But, regarding that piece of real estate, there’s a dirty little secret that no one seems to talk about. There were people living in the land at the time. And a whole lot of them. It wasn’t just barren desert as it has been portrayed. Yet, how many times have you heard it said, “A people without a land, and a land without a people”? The implication? The land was vacant. That’s simply not true. Do you realize how important it is to recognize that fact?

During the past 63 years, it’s an understatement to say that those Arab and Christian inhabitants of the land of Palestine have been severely persecuted.  In the process of the “regathering”, close to a million Palestinian refugees have been created. Many were killed. Villages were bulldozed to the ground. Land was confiscated, and illegal Jewish settlements have continued construction on land acquired through war. You simply cannot imagine the horror.

All of this is detailed in one of the best books I have ever read, Elias Chacour’s Blood Brothers. (You cannot read this book without it severely altering your paradigm). Please know that although Elias Chacour (a very young Palestinian Christian when his father’s land was stolen in 1948) is not a bitter man. And he isn’t seeking retribution nor is he motivated by revenge. He simply desires to foment peace. And interestingly enough, this man was voted Israeli man of the year in 2002.

So is there any surprise that the indigenousness Palestinian people who resided in the land prior to the tanks rolling in, in 1948, might not appreciate the outright confiscation of their land.  Should there be any wonder why their constantly degrading socio-economic circumstances might cause some of them to lash out in barbaric ways? Does any reaction warrant suicide bombings or other forms of terrorism?  Of course not, but have you ever considered what might motivate a person to do such an evil thing?  If you put a boot on a man’s throat and hold him down for a prolonged period of time, would it later surprise you if he reacted?

On the surface, “Pray for Israel” seems rather innocuous enough. Surely Christians ought to care about peace. But have you ever wondered what kind of a message this sends to the billion or so Arabs that surround them?  Were the Arabs born on the wrong side of the tracks?  Are they doomed simply because they have the wrong genetic predisposition? When was the last time someone said, “Pray for Iran” or “Pray for Syria”?  I believe the underlying and insidious message we’re sending to the rest of the world (especially the Arab world) is one of favoritism based solely on a what I believe is a misperceived birthright.  So let me ask again. Where we get this precedent of singling out Israel?

Did you now that there is no Jewish race? In “Who Are the Modern Jews“, Scott Stinson quotes none other than the Jewish Encyclopedia for that answer. It states, “The question whether the Jews of today are in the main descended from the Jews of Bible times, and from them alone, is still undecided”.  I found this to be a rather startling admission from a source that can hardly be accused of anti-Semitism. The Jewish Encyclopedia further explains. “Some anthropologists are inclined to associate the racial origins of the Jews, not with the Semites, whose language they adopted, but with the Armenians and Hittites of Mesopotamia, whose broad skulls and curved noses they appear to have inherited” (Jew. Enc. X (1905), 284).

Contrary to the opinions of many Christians, I believe these things have been clearly documented. Blasphemy, you say?  (Let it be said that this is NOT intended as an indictment to those who currently reside in modern day Israel. I am simply attempting to establish the fact that few Jews living in Israel are In Israel are of Abrahamic lineage. Not since the AD 70 Diaspora when 1.1 million Jews died in the wake of the Roman siege, was national Israel vital. And those who survived this first-century holocaust (according to Jesus brought about by their rejection of HIM) were assimilated into the surrounding cultures/nations.

Today, there are no priests. There is no temple and God will never allow it to be rebuilt since it would stand as an abomination to Jesus’ once-for-all perfect sacrifice. (Heb 9:11-28) And there are no genealogical records documenting racial origin. For good reason, they were forever destroyed in the war. Everything was summarily destroyed by God as He avenged the murder of His Son (Matthew 23:36; Matthew 22:6-7). And from the cross forward, the only true children of Abraham are those born of faith in Jesus Christ. (Gal 3:6-9; Rom 9:6-8) It has nothing whatsoever to do with bloodline.

The ax was at the root of Israel’s tree in AD 27 (Matthew 3:7-12) and it was about to be cut down and thrown into the unquenchable fire, never to rise again. Jesus Christ is THE Israel of God.  He is THE seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16).  Only those born from above (John 1:12) are “In Christ” and therefore children of Abraham according to promise (Gal 3:29). The gates of the Kingdom have been opened wide for people of all cultures and nationalities. There is neither Jew nor Greek in the New Covenant (Gal 3:28). The dividing wall of separation has been forever demolished. 

Ephesians 2:14-17 (NASB) 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away , and peace to those who were near;

I hate terrorism, and there should be no doubt in any Christian’s mind that Islam is a religion that opposes Jesus Christ. But so does Talmudic Judaism! They, Israeli and Arab, both need Christ, so why pray specifically and single-mindedly for the peace of Israel (at the exclusion of the Arab population) when the Israelis are oppressing a people (the Palestinians) who live within their borders? Why are Christians not encouraged to pray for the peace and safety of the heavily persecuted Palestinian Christians? This is a sad mystery. 

In the end, this obsession with Israel has become very disconcerting.  Many people become so emotionally charged that reason is kicked to the curb. Why not pray for the peace of the whole world? Why not pray for a race-blind world where the Gospel is free to proliferate without ethnically imposed restrictions? Once we remove the racial barriers sequestering the Gospel from the entire Arab world, who knows what may happen. The way to defeat Islam is not to nuke their countries but to convert its adherents. But unfortunately, under the current climate, the Muslims won’t hear the message of Christ because a Biblically sanctioned bigotry drones the Gospel’s clarity. Although the only path to peace is through Jesus Christ, the only way to Christ is through an unobstructed message.

I believe a pervading ignorance of that which took place pre-1948, fuels a misdirected blame for the current Middle East circumstances. I abhor all violence, but to ignore the atrocities committed against the indigenous Palestinian population, at least 10% of whom were Christians, is to fight a battle blind-folded.

I recently watched a video of a Jewish Rabbi who was filled with aspirations of peace. As he was decrying violence he made a rather poignant statement. Basically, he asked, “How can we who know the severity of suffering (referring to the holocaust) if we don’t recognize the suffering of others? We, above all, he said, ought to be the most cognizant of oppression and abuse. They cannot right the wrong of the Holocaust by doing the same to others. 

In closing, let me make it clear that I believe in Israel’s right to self-determination and self-defense regardless of the past.  However, not at the expense of innocent people. Because, in the process, the rage emanating from the innocent (63 years of oppression), foments the cycle of violence while radicalizing a whole new generation. And the beat goes on. I believe we must acknowledge the past before we can move forward. 

If you still feel compelled to pray for Israel, please also pray for Palestinian people. No, that doesn’t mean we are under obligation to condone the actions of Hamas or Hezbollah or side with those who desire to drive Israel into the sea. It simply means that we are champions of those who cannot speak for themselves. It means that we are peacemakers and it means that we love Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 5:9 (NKJV) Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

The solutions to these very serious and vexing problems are solidly within our grasp. The Prince of Peace, through His redemptive blood, can and will one day tear down the walls that separate us. The answers are within the bounds of Scripture. In the New Covenant, race should NEVER be a motivating factor. The dividing wall of separation has been eternally torn down. So in the future, let’s pray for the peace of ALL, knowing that ONLY the Gospel can bring both vertical (between God & us) and horizontal (between each of us) peace. 

______________________

Forwarded message:

CHUCK, 

PRAY FOR ISRAEL.  OUR PRESIDENT HAS THROWN THEM UNDER THE BUS.   GOD IS STLL IN CONTROL 
 

GOD BLESS

______________________
 
As an addendum, if anyone would like to more fully understand the Palestinian / Israeli conflict from a Biblical perspective, I highly recommend the following books, dvds and websites:
 
Posted in Eschatology, Israel, Zionism | 5 Comments

The World is Coming to an End, Again!

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Chuck Coty
Commentary: Doomsday is Oct. 21, so get your finances in order By Brett Arends
 
BOSTON (MarketWatch) — The world is coming to an end. Again.

Harold E. Camping, the radio “Rapture” guy out in California, has told his followers that the world will end — or, at least, that all the Chosen Ones will get raised up to Heaven — on Oct. 21. (Camping gave this update after Saturday’s big letdown, his second.)
 
I know what you’re thinking: “What does this mean for my personal finances?” Well, here at MarketWatch we’ve always got your back. So if you’re getting ready for the Rapture, here are my 10 personal-finance tips….
 
(Continue HERE For the rest of the article and a short video of Camping – it’s kind of a playful “what if”…)
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Apparently, according to Camping, he wasn’t actually wrong. Surprised?  No, I wasn’t either. Who’d admit that kind of blunder when some of his followers spent their life’s savings on signs, tee-shirts, pamphlets and touring caravans? Camping says that It just didn’t happen the way he expected. Hmm. Maybe he’s on to something. 
 
The truth is that although I don’t know anyone who took Camping seriously (though plenty did), this “any moment rapture”, popularized by Hal Lindsey and more recently, Tim LaHaye, has conditioned the soil for a whole bumper crop of similar predictions. We all know Jesus said that “no man knows the day or the hour“, but was that the extent of Camping’s error?  Is that really what makes Camping’s eschatological proclivities so egregious compared to others who laboriously sound the alarm without setting a specific date? In terms of overall impact, what’s the big difference between saying something been imminent for 2,000 years or picking an actual day? At least Camping put his money where his mouth was. I believe the majority of Christendom’s “end is near” drone, has had a much more chilling effect on so many levels than this Camping fiasco. 
 
I’ve been hearing this “any moment” rapture since the 1973 Middle East crisis (oil embargo) when I was a wild-eyed 19-year-old. My roommates and I contemplated quitting college and heading for the hills because Pat Robertson had convinced us that the end was near. After all, what good would a B.A. in Criminal Justice do in a heaven packed with a bunch of perfect people?  LoL   

In 1982, when my wife Debbie was pregnant with Matthew, she and I were warned by a well-intentioned but a bit overbearing fellow quoting from Matthew’s version Olivet Discourse.  He told us rather emphatically that this was a dangerous time to bring a child into a world that was in its final birth pains. Not the best news for expecting parents!

Matthew 24:19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

In hindsight, consider the irony. Christy, my second child who was not born yet, now has her own child! How long will it be before some other zealous person quotes the above Scripture to her?
 

On September 12, 1988, Debbie and I were tooling around the Gulf on the cruise ship Titanic…no actually it was the Veracruz but it felt like the Titanic, as one of the largest hurricanes (Gilbert) in history was bearing down on our destination, Cozumel, while we were bopping around like a cork in 20 foot seas. You ask what’s the significance of that date?  It was the middle day of the three days Edgar Whisenant (88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988) predicted the rapture was guaranteed to happen. 

“Only if the Bible is in error am I wrong; and I say that to every preacher in town. “[I]f there were a king in this country and I could gamble with my life, I would stake my life on Rosh Hashana 88.” 

He came back in ’89 (Edgar that is…not Jesus LoL) with the same brazen guarantees and then wasn’t heard from again. Well, not publicly, that is. Perhaps he staked his life on it…

Then the magic year was the turn of the millennium, 2000. That reminds me, I still have 50 gallons of water and a bunch of canned goods from that one. I suppose the water’s a mite stale and the veggies are unrecognizable.

After Y2K came and went without much fanfare, the specutologists turned to 2004. Nothing again and then THE DAY became May 12, 2011… well, not it’s October 2011. That date will come and go and then the next great wave will be in 2012 culminating on the Mayan calendar’s terminal date, December 22. As certain as Edgar was, I am as well, that these and many more years of predictions will all come and go while more and more Christians become disillusioned with the Bible.  

Well, Matthew is now almost 29, I’m 56 (ugh!) and I continue to hear the same ole warn-out refrain. “If the Lord tarries just a little longer I’ll do (fill in the blank)”.  It’s always perpetually “soon”. Nice redundancy, eh?  And this, in my view, is the crux of the problem. It’s a broken record.  It’s Chicken Little meets Groundhog’s Day.

Every time there’s a school shooting, a rash of tornadoes, an earthquake, a kidnapping, an economic collapse, an oil spill, unrest in the Middle East, or basically anything negative, what do people say? “It’s a sign of the times.”  To be quite frank, it’s a sign of EVERY generation in recorded history. This stuff has been going on since the fall. It’s as if people have no comprehension of history. As Yogi Berra would say, “It’s Deja vu all over again.” 🙂  

The modern Church has become myopic and egocentric. Every day I am amazed as I hear so many Christians say how bad things are. Hey, if someone’s unemployed or has terminal cancer, things clearly are bad for them. And times are always marked by events and conditions that prove we live in a fallen world. But in the grand scheme, are world conditions really as bad as many say they are?  In the past 200 years, consider the following varied events to add perspective. And remember, the population in 1804 (1 billion) was 7 times less than it is now (7 billion):
 
    • 1775-1783 – The Revolutionary War (6,000 dead)
    • 1815 – Indonesia’s Mt. Tambora volcanic eruption (92,000 dead)
    • 1839 – India cyclone (300,000 dead)
    • 1850-1950 – The third Pandemic of the Black Plague (12,000,000 dead)
    • 1861-1865 – The Civil War (700,000 dead)
    • 1887 – Yellow River Flood (2,000,000 dead)
    • 1900-1980 – Smallpox (300,000,000 dead)
    • 1907 – Chinese Famine (24,000,000 dead)
    • 1918 – WW1 & the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 (65,000,000 dead)
    • 1920 – Haiyuan (China) earthquake (235,000 dead)
    • 1937-1945 – WW2 (72,000,000 dead)
    • 1941-1945 – Genocide (11,000,000 dead)
    • 1960 – Chilean 9.5 earthquake (1,655 dead)
The fulfillment of Bible prophecy is always about us, in our generation…or so people think. This egocentricity is really causing serious interpretative issues.  And I believe the blame falls on our flight from sound hermeneutics (the science of interpretation). Once time indicators (soon, near, at hand and shortly), audience relevance, context, and the analogy of faith (interpreting the unclear from the unclear) are discarded, interpreting the Bible becomes a free-for-all, and private interpretations abound.

Case in point: In the first verse of the Revelation it says, “things which MUST SHORTLY take place.” So one person says, “shortly is just a relative term”, off to the races they go.  So, 2,000 years later, the Revelation is supposedly still in our future. What about “MUST SHORTLY take place do we not understand? There’s no wonder confusion abounds. 
 

After the massive earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that devastated Japan, I was talking with two gentlemen at the place I work-out. One guy said, as the other was nodding his head, “This is just the beginning, so get ready. You ain’t seen nothing yet.”  No, maybe I haven’t since most of the really horrific stuff happened well before I was born, but I’ve heard these dire warnings for my entire 38-year Christian life.

And the truth is, the Bible doesn’t say anything about an increase or frequency of seismic activity, or school shootings, or economic woes or anything regarding an uptick in natural disasters. Jesus simply said that there would be earthquakes in diverse places.

But sadly, that doesn’t really seem to matter because we believe we’re living in the last days of history and things must be getting really bad. Our expectations tell us such, and we use to newspaper to confirm them. It’s  the never-ending self-fulfilling story. But it’s not a true story and the facts simply don’t bear out these supposedly worsening times. It’s all relative when our myopathy restricts our view of the past 40 years.

So, yeah, I agree, Camping’s out of control, but so is this “any day now” rapture. It’s eating our lunch and sapping our resolve.  Christians are becoming the butt of all the late night talk show jokes and overall, the Bible’s credibility is being severely compromised. I know it won’t be popular and you might get run out of a Bible study for even asking the question, but don’t ya think it’s high time we begin to look at the eschatological underpinnings that foster this kind of stuff? Something being imminent for 2,000 years is, well…the only words that come to mind are condescending. 🙁

 
Where in the New Testament do we find an admonition to rebuild the Temple (what an abomination); a regathering of the Jews into the Holy Land; or a prediction that Israel would once again become a nation? Actually, the only Temple mentioned was one that was to be destroyed (and it was in AD 70 exactly 40 years [a generation] after it was predicted); And the only prediction regarding fleshly Israel, was its impending demise for murdering their Messiah (and it happened as God brought the Roman-led multi-national army to destroy Jerusalem during the spring of AD 67 to the fall of AD 70 – times, time and half a time – 3 ½ years).
 
I sure hope we get back on track to a sound interpretation of Scripture. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of this 40-year wilderness wandering. Don’t get me wrong, manna’s okay with a dab of ketchup, but it ain’t no Outback cheese fries or succulent shrimp from the Bonefish Grill.  🙂
Posted in 2nd Coming, Audience Relevance, End of the World, Eschatology, Hermeneutics, Olivet Discourse | Leave a comment

Israeli – Palestinian Conflict

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Chuck Coty
I believe there is a great deal of confusion regarding the Palestinian / Israeli conflict. Considering the president’s most recent speech calling for a return to the 1967 borders, I think the following video, forwarded by 3 New Hampshire Governor and former White House Chief of Staff, John Sinunu, might introduce a degree of objectivity. If we can’t get past our emotional reactions which may be based upon faulty preconceptions, peace will stand little chance of prevailing. 
 
Understandably, because of a shared 1st Testament, most Christians are in solidarity with Israel and assume that the majority of fault should be laid at the feet of radical organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as the neighboring Arab countries. But, it may not be as cut and dry as most perceive. This is an incredibly complex issue with no tidy solutions.  As Christians, I think it is imperative that we do whatever we can to foment peace. From my vantage point, that is not happening. 

Posted in Updates | Leave a comment

American Atheists Planning Rapture Party!

Posted on May 14, 2011 by Chuck Coty
Do the atheists have a point when they refer to the “any day now” rapture as nonsense? Are you able to answer their claims?  I have found that most cannot. The American Atheist Association is planning rapture parties for “heathens and skeptics” in a broadside attempt to garner new converts while mocking Christianity.
 
Watch the following video to learn how to successfully rebut their claims. Inspired Scripture is hanging in the balance. We most definitely have an answer. 

(For full-screen click the 4 arrows in the toolbar – “esc” key to revert)
 
Consider attending American Vision’s National Prophecy Conference, June 1-4, 2011 in Ridgecrest, NC, to learn how to effectively interpret Bible prophecy.
 
For a more in-depth look at these matters watch the following:
 
Posted in 2nd Coming, End of the World, Eschatology | Leave a comment

Whatever Happened to the Gospel?

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Chuck Coty
By David Nicholas
 
The pastor was brilliant. The people were with him every step of the way. Concluding the service he said, “I have good news for you today. Narzak paid for all your crimes. As we sing this last hymn, I invite you to come forward to receive Narzak into your heart. Let’s all stand and sing.”
 
The people stood, but they were more than confused. They wondered if they had heard correctly. Did the preacher really say, “Narzak paid for all your crimes?” Every person in the church was wondering, “Who is Narzak?” and “What crimes?”

Let’s carry this scenario over into the typical church service, in which the pastor thinks he is preaching the gospel. Realize that when the unbeliever hears the phrase, “Jesus died for you and paid for all your sins,” he is thinking, “Who is Jesus?” and “What sins?” Jesus has great name recognition, but I have discovered that many people who call themselves Christians have no idea who he is. And the typical unbeliever doesn’t have a clue. The unbeliever may own up to some faults, but he doesn’t think of himself as a sinner. He sees himself as basically a “good” person.

 
My quest to know what has happened to the Gospel began a few years ago when my wife and I visited various churches while on vacation. I noticed that the pastors of these churches—churches that would be considered biblical and evangelical—did not clearly explain the Bad News about ourselves and the Good News of what God has done for us through Christ. Yet in many of these churches, an invitation was given for people to come forward to “receive Jesus into their hearts.” But because there was no explanation of who Jesus is, what he did and why he did it, the invitation came across to the unbeliever just like the statement, “Narzak paid for your crimes. Won’t you believe in Narzak?”
 
Yes, salvation is of God, and the Holy Spirit must work in giving spiritual life to a person. And yes, he can do it any way he chooses. John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15), but this is not the norm. God’s primary way of saving people is through the Gospel because his power is in the Gospel (Romans 1:16). This is why the Gospel must be presented clearly. After all, if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle (1 Corinthians 14:8)? And if the problems of sin and death and what God has done to overcome them through Jesus Christ are not clearly set forth, who will understand their need and come to Jesus in faith?
 

I decided to see how pervasive this problem is. I asked LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources, to conduct an independent survey of sermons from churches across the country—churches large and small, denominational and non-denominational—to see how often the Bad News and the Good News are being explained in a meaningful and understandable way. LifeWay Research conducted a survey of hundreds of sermons. The results are in, and Dr. Ed Stetzer with LifeWay Research called them “unsettling.”

 
It seems that the overwhelming majority of pastors have assumed that the Gospel, as set forth by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, is Christianity 101 and that the people listening to their sermons already grasp the basic concepts of the Gospel.

“Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it. You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed to no purpose. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (HCSB)
 
The LifeWay Research survey revealed that 94% of pastors are not preaching the Bad News (our sin and death problems and why good works don’t work) and the Good News (what God has done through Christ to overcome our sin and death problems).
 
Most pastors do not mention the Bad News or the Good News in their sermons. But, sadder than this, most pastors do not know how to preach and explain the Bad News and Good News in a meaningful and understandable way. Is this important? Yes, if we are to take Jesus seriously, and if we have a desire to do what he commanded us to do. The Great Commission is at the heart of God’s plan for this world, and at the heart of the Great Commission is making disciples by preaching the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8).
 
I was asked by the Church Planting Coordinator for my denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, to lead an evangelism conference. I agreed and told the Coordinator that I wanted the pastors who signed up for the conference to bring two or three sermons with them. I would place the men in small groups and ask each man to explain his sermon to the men in his group and then demonstrate how he had incorporated the Bad News and Good News into his message.
 
At this point, the Coordinator said to me, “David, these are all seminary-trained, ordained PCA pastors. They all know how to do that.” I said, “Humor me.” He did, and after leading a small group at the conference the Coordinator e-mailed me these remarks:

“Well, David, I must say that you’ve made a believer out of me. Overall I think the Evangelism Convocation went very well, but the preaching exercises in our coaching clusters stood out as the most valuable aspect of the entire event. They confirmed exactly what you said they would, and I see now that one of the biggest reasons we don’t have people coming to Christ in our churches, and why so many of our churches are lackluster and dying, is that the gospel simply isn’t being preached! I was so struck by how the guys would use code words like “the gospel” and “grace” and “the work of Christ” in their messages, and yet never, NEVER flesh them out or lay out the gospel. I guess they assume they’re doing it, but it just isn’t there.”
 
This man put his finger on the biggest problem in the church today. We have pastors who think they are preaching the gospel by using “Christianese” jargon; their congregants think they are hearing the gospel because the message contains familiar buzz words. Those on the inside are happy with what is going on, but unbelievers are not being reached because the Bad News and the Good News are not clearly explained.
 
I recently received a call from a former member of Spanish River Church who had moved to Franklin, TN. He told me that he and his family had visited three churches in the area and heard more than a dozen sermons. Only once did one of the pastors get somewhat close to the gospel, but he still did not really explain it. There was no gospel in the other thirteen messages my friend heard. Yet invitations to receive Christ were given at each service! This man was amazed and wondered what was going on in the church.
 
I explained that many pastors think they are presenting the gospel when in actuality they are not. They use “in-house” words and phrases that believers understand. It is like a child’s special code that requires a “secret decoder ring” to decipher the message. Either pastors do not believe they have any unbelievers in their services, or they don’t believe the gospel is God’s power for the salvation of all who believe. Or perhaps they just do not realize they’re not communicating clearly. Until our pastors commit to clearly presenting the Bad News and the Good News in plain, direct language, the unsaved man or woman will comprehend the message no more clearly than the tale of Narzak.
___________________________________

Editor’s Note: For an example of a clear gospel presentation, enjoy Dr. Nicholas’ article,
“Preaching the Gospel the Way Bobbie Lee Learned to Drive“.

In the summer of 1972, David led my entire family to the Lord.  David, “Rev” to us, passed away in January of this year on the exact day of his conversion almost 5 decades earlier. I have never known a man with more passion for the Gospel than Dr. David Nicholas. 

Through his ministry at Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL, he planted 243 churches throughout the globe. His memorial service was a day that I will never forget. His challenge to share “the good news and the bad news” will forever be indelibly marked in my minds-eye. Thank you, Rev, for you are now enjoying the fruit of your labor. Sadly though, there’s no one in Heaven to share the Gospel with. I wonder what Rev is doing now?  Perhaps sitting with my Mom and Dad and reminiscing. 🙂 
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